(6.25) Head down to the state house, Thursday at 5pm, for a Rally Against Stadium Proposal. Organizer David Norton of “Keep PawSox in Pawtucket,” and “No New Stadium” (a grassroots organization opposing the riverfront site and taxpayer funding), invite everyone who opposes this project to show up! GoLocal spoke with opponent David Fisher,
“Once again we are encouraged to see democracy in action. Mr. Norton delivered over 13,000 petition signatures to our leaders last week and they still don’t seem to get the message,” said David Fisher of The Coalition Radio, who has been an outspoken stadium opponent. “The overwhelming public opinion on this issue is clear. We don’t want this stadium, and if it means that the Red Sox organization leaves [Rhode Island], so be it.”
House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello has recently suggested that opposition seemed to be waning! Apparently the recent delivery of tens of thousands of signatures must be repeated weekly (ditto your letters, emails, phone calls) or Mattiello can claim that opposition is waning. (Attention Speaker Mattiello: Opposition remains in full effect until further notice to the contrary.)
Governor Raimondo reports that 98% of those contacting her office oppose the stadium. Speaker Mattiello has chosen not to keep a running tally so he doesn’t have to own up to a similar inconvenient truth. Representative Chris Blazejewski recently told Ian Donnis at RIPR that opinion seemed to be running 50/50 which I can only assume reflects a push by Red Sox ownership — getting their family and secretaries to call and write — to contact the representative of the district most directly at risk. Contact Blaz here.
And it always bears repeating — if the team has to leave the state, then let them leave!